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Hockenheim has opened talks with Formula 1 about bringing back the German Grand Prix, with CEO Stefano Domenicali confirming the circuit âconnected with usâ for an initial discussion. Domenicali said Hockenheimâs owners, who have earmarked major investment to expand the venue, understand that hosting an F1 race would require a different level of funding because âour platform needs to have a different kind of investmentâ, adding: âBut we have discussed that.â
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says Formula 1 teams should be cautious about judging big performance swings after McLarenâs upgrade at the Hungaroring helped Lando Norris take pole and win the Hungarian Grand Prix. Wolff said: "So definitely, it is one of the good tracks for them, not very good for us, so we need to be careful not to swing, you know, from 'everyone is suddenly competitive to a team is suddenly not competitive.' They've definitely done a step. They are staying in the fight. We haven't brought an upgrade for some time, and you can see that this is going to be a development fight going forward."
Several drivers said the Hungarian Grand Prix was a rare 2026 highlight because the Hungaroringâs frequent braking zones and short straights reduce the need for energy harvesting, making qualifying and racing feel more âclassicâ. Haasâs Esteban Ocon said: âIt reminds me of the old days a little bit,â while Audiâs Gabriel Bortoleto felt it was âa little bit more like last yearâ on an âenergyâ track. Racing Bullsâ Isack Hadjar added: âIt feels good to reach your top speed at the end of the straights, back to classic racing.â
Mercedes deputy technical director Simone Resta said McLarenâs redesigned floor was a âsizeableâ upgrade that âmustâ have helped its performance at the Hungarian Grand Prix, but he also pointed to Lando Norrisâ execution in the win. Resta said: "For sure, it's a sizeable update and it must have had an impact on their performance. And maybe he was in a very good place with the car and the set-up in these conditions and tyre management and he executed very well. So I think it's probably a combination of both aspects."
George Russell says he âdefinitelyâ needs the summer break after what he described as a first half of the Formula 1 season affected by issues outside his control, including a Mercedes problem that hampered his start in Hungary and dropped him to the back. Russell said: "Don't be disappointed with things outside of your control. In Hungary, the race was totally ruined. I did my procedure right at the start. The pace was fine. The result was s**t. But the things that I could have controlled, they were just okay. I usually don't feel like I need a break. This year, I definitely feel like I need one."
Sergio Perez says being Max Verstappenâs team-mate at Red Bull was âthe toughestâ job in Formula 1 because Verstappen had the full backing and resources of the team. Perez said: "To face Max at Red Bull is the toughest. To face Max in any other team will be very tough, but to face him at Red Bull with his team, his people, it's tough. You need the best of the best in all areas, and you just don't have it, while he has it all. All the opportunities in terms of engineering, senior engineering, experienced engineering - everything goes to Max."
McLaren boss Andrea Stella said the teamâs Hungarian Grand Prix upgrade package was a âcorrection of the courseâ for its MCL40 after looking at concepts used by quicker rivals. Stella said: "I think the main aspect of these upgrades is that they introduce some parts that follow a slightly different concept in some areas of the car. We realised after we delivered the MCL40, and also to some extent looking at the concepts that were present in some cars that were faster than us, we realised that we needed to correct the course. We know that when McLaren understands which direction to take, then I think we are in a condition to develop quite effectively."
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali says Formula 1 dropped the idea of staging two races in Las Vegas because of a potential clash with the NFL and Brexit-related customs paperwork for the nine UK-based teams, amid uncertainty over whether the Qatar and Abu Dhabi races can go ahead. Stefano Domenicali said: "There was the possibility of having two races in Las Vegas... don't forget that in that period of the year we are fighting in the U.S. against the NFL. Therefore, considering the constraint that we have, we need to go back to close all the Brexit-connected documentation from abroad in the UK and then go to another place. Therefore, the only possibility is to finish in Europe within the same framework of time."
Stefano Domenicali says Formula 1 must prioritise fansâ views over driversâ complaints about the championshipâs controversial 2026 regulations. Domenicali said: "And the fans are always a priority on top of everyone, even me. They can have a personal opinion, but I have the duty to make a summary of what is the best for the sport."
Hondaâs new-specification F1 power unit has run on track for the first time after appearing on an Aston Martin filming day at the Hungaroring on Wednesday, ahead of its planned race introduction at next monthâs Dutch Grand Prix. Motorsport Italy reports the upgrade could be worth around 30hp, while also suggesting the vibrations that troubled Aston Martin earlier this season âappear to have been curedâ. The update is set to be Hondaâs first ADUO (Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities) of the 2026 season.
Alex Albon says Williams is making the âbiggest effortâ he has seen to fix long-standing âgenetic DNAâ weaknesses that have affected the teamâs car on tracks with medium-to-high-speed, constant-radius corners. Albon said: "We know the weaknesses of the car, we know the direction [we need to take], and the work that's been done at the factory is the biggest effort I've seen from the team to fight these genetic DNA problems it has. I think we're doing exactly the right things to get back on track. I think a lot of what we're really biting into is next year's car. It is making sure next year's car doesn't have these traits."
Haas driver Esteban Ocon says he plans to unwind over the Formula 1 summer break by spending time on a boat with friends and family. Ocon said: "During the summer break, I like being on the water with friends and family. I usually spend a quiet week on the boat in either Greece, Italy or the south of France. After the intensity of the first half of the season, that simplicity is exactly what I need to relax and unwind and spend a few consecutive days with loved ones."
Honda trackside general manager and chief engineer Shintaro Orihara said the engine oscillations Fernando Alonso reported in first practice in Hungary were linked to combustion characteristics and engine temperature, and that Honda improved the situation through the weekend. Orihara said: "So that is not a vibration issue. That is oscillations. We observed an engine oscillation issue on both cars in FP1. From our analysis, that was coming from an engine combustion characteristic. Probably coming from engine temperature itself. Session by session, the oscillations got better. We have made good progress on the oscillations."
Charles Leclerc says Ferrari must stay âaggressiveâ with its development programme because upgrades are making a bigger difference under the 2026 regulations. Leclerc said: "Upgrades are so much more significant than in the past, because it allows us to make such big steps forward, so it is going to be important that we stay on top of it, and keep being aggressive as we have been with the development programme."
Max Verstappen says championship leader Kimi Antonelli has been ârock solidâ during the first half of the 2026 season, after he was asked which driver had produced the best performance so far. Verstappen said: "I think, if you look at the front, Kimi has done a really good job. Really strong, really solid. I think, if he just keeps it going â of course, he's also been very unlucky sometimes, so that's been a bit of a shame â but as a 19-year-old, so far, I think he's been rock solid. That's really impressive to see as an outsider."
Isack Hadjar says it is reassuring that his feedback on Red Bullâs RB22 matches Max Verstappenâs, because he would otherwise be questioning himself. Hadjar said: "Yeah, which is reassuring, let's say. Otherwise, I would be asking myself questions. So that's the good news."
Max Verstappen says the perception that Red Bull is uniquely suffering a mass departure of senior staff is âa bit too dramaticâ, and that people are also joining the team. Verstappen said: "Of course, over the last few years, people have left, but also people are joining. People always like to focus on the negative; when people are leaving, they always make it out as if it's something very dramatic... I feel like sometimes people have been a bit dramatic, a little bit too dramatic on that, that it only happens to us. People are leaving, they're coming and going all the time. That's just part of the sport in a way."
F1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali says Formula 1 is working on the ânormal planâ to start the 2027 season, with the current intention to open in Bahrain and then Saudi Arabia, but it has alternatives if the Middle East situation is not resolved. Domenicali said: "The calendar will be presented in the autumn. That will be the normal plan, but in the case that the situation in the Middle East is not solved, we have options and different plans."
Lewis Hamilton says Formula 1 stewards have been âinconsistentâ over some penalties, after discussions about his five-second sanction for a false start at Silverstone. Hamilton said: "Silverstone was my fault; we did talk in the drivers' briefing about the fact that they're inconsistent with this stuff. There have been drivers in the past that have moved and haven't been penalised, and we discussed with them the fact that as long as you're not moving when the lights are on, you shouldn't be penalised because I wasn't out of my box, and they agreed. So they're looking into that."
Williams team principal James Vowles said Fernando Alonso contributed to Carlos Sainz's collision with Oscar Piastri because Alonso did not concede under blue flags as Piastri came to lap them. Vowles said: "Fernando had a number of blue flashing lights all the way through and in fact remained in position in front of Oscar. You have to do it in order, so Fernando should have conceded that position earlier. What happened is, he didn't."
Lando Norris says he feels he has been driving better in the first half of this season than he was at the same stage last year, after winning the Hungarian Grand Prix. Norris said: "I think in terms of my driving, and my own performance as a driver, honestly, I'm very happy. I feel like I have been doing a good job of maximising the car's potential. I feel like I've driven better in this half of the season than I probably did to this point last year, to a certain extent, but sadly I'm not leading the championship."
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella says reigning world champion Lando Norris is âmuch more confidentâ at the start of the 2026 season, after the way he responded to the difficulties he faced early in 2025. Stella said: "I've been quite impressed by Lando following the way he has reacted to the first third of the season last year. There were highs and lows, there were some difficulties, there were clear learning points to review and learn from, and he embraced the challenge. What we see here is just the continuation of this trajectory, Lando is much more confident."
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